


Black Heart Inertia

by meupclose



Category: 19天 - Old先 | 19 Days - Old Xian
Genre: M/M, future meet up, mo's parents are supportive and set him up, older!he tian, older!mo, one scene but if I have muse for this ill add to it, reads like a slice of life, scarred and roughed up he tian because of his profession with the mafia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-27
Updated: 2018-05-27
Packaged: 2019-05-14 15:08:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14771967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meupclose/pseuds/meupclose
Summary: "Ugh--" he pushed his hand hard on He Tian's face and situated himself in a standing position. His phone chimed from his father, glancing down he saw a line of emoji's that contained a lot of 'crying while laughing' and 'people high-fiving each other' that made him wonder if his mother also knew about this situation. He felt fingers tickling the inside of his leg, forcing him to take a wide step to the side and reach down to pull the other up from the floor."You know what?" Mo Guan said as He Tian got to his feet, standing close enough that Mo could feel his breath."Hmm?""My parents are schemers and yet--" he sighed. Putting his phone in his pocket before clutching He Tian's arm to wipe the food off it. "I'm glad you are alive-- and that they knew you were safe."





	Black Heart Inertia

This was absurd, and he felt stupid. That was it, the entire theme of his fucking day, and yet while Mo Guan glared at his bus ticket praying to any God that it was incorrect in its information-- it wasn't. The bus behind him thundered in it's revved engines in goodbye, the smoke from the exhaust leaving a hot trail as it made its way down the road. Mo Guan took a single second to let the heat of the summer air reside on his shoulders before he pulled his bag up and took his leave of the open road.

"Hello?" The wood of the unlocked door creaked the old entranceway open. The house seemed out of place like a British Victorian inn had managed to exploit its architecture design on this little plot of land away from everyone. He peered over his shoulder back towards the road; the surrounding yard was full and square with a white picketed fence. Roses were in full bloom along the edge of the property line, and his lips twitched a little at their beautiful design. It was too cute though, and he refused to feel safe until he figured out who brought him here.

"I'm going in I guess..." he cleared his throat. "I got dropped off here? Hello!" He shouted into the house and closed the door to the two-story residence and took in the large spacious entranceway. There were pictures of the seasons on the walls and a stunning floral arrangement on a roundtable two steps away. He walked towards it, peaking into the room on the right to see a spacious library and sitting area, to the left was a dining room set already with dinnerware and candles.

"Little Mo? What are you doing here?"

A pulse of frustration struck the vein in his forehead. On the steps was He Tian, holding what appeared to be a glass of bourbon. He looked exhausted in his expression, though the shadows from the sharp angle in the setting sun could be contributing. Mo Guan could see his familiar body shape under the tight black t-shirt he wore with comfortable house pants. Age filled him out along his shoulders to widen his wingspan and sharpen his jaw from adolescence.

His heart was pounding, palms sweating immediately because damn-- it's been ten years.

"I'm leaving-- you tricked me,"

"I didn't," He could hear the chuckle behind the words, and it made him hold his position for being played.

"No?! This is where that bus dropped me off, you knew about this didn't you? Why the fuck else would you of all fucking people-- be here?" He turned, dropping his bag on the floor to give both his hands a chance to cross over his chest defensively, foot tapping for an answer that would satisfy him.

He Tian's gaze was intense, but Mo Guan felt it wasn't staring at him in a challenge; he was completely checking him out. "STOP LOOKING AT ME!"

"You're hot. Damn, I've missed out on you getting older," He Tian limped down the steps, his hand bracing the railing while he left Mo for the dining room. Questions immediately surfaced, and he followed. Curiousness was winning over frustration.

"What is wrong with you? Why are you limping so bad,"

He Tian set his glass near the place setting for one. The room decorated in dark woods accented in stark beams and white drywall. It didn't have any details to it less the oversized table that could comfortably seat eight people, and the lone plate and cutlery. The chandelier's light set the room in soft light letting the three candles cast the place into a late afternoon hue.

He Tian continued without answering, reaching out to grab a cane tucked near the far wall and proceeded to use it on his left leg to ease his walk.

"Oy!"

"Shut up already; you are so loud-- forgot that about you, for once just chill," He Tian moved into the kitchen which had a handful of open containers spread out on the counter. He pulled out another plate and offered it to Mo Guan. There was weirdness in all this. Confidence in He Tian was something you could smell in the air if you learned to draw instinct to it. It's been years since he's seen him-- a near decade to be exact. He didn't know what to make of this calm He Tian.

No. Fuck that. Why was he being forced to face him again? It had taken Mo Guan so long to forget his feelings.

"I'm leaving," Mo Guan slammed the plate on the counter and stormed out of the room. His heart was racing, and not in a way that he wanted to feel right now. He Tian always brought problems, continuously stirred something dangerous out of Mo Guan and he wasn't about to let his life crumble through his fingers for this asshat who couldn't have returned one fucking call to him in all this time.

"You know what?" He turned, and He Tian was still setting the table for the both of them, pulling containers in and continued to spoon it out onto the plates without one single glance up. Mo Guan's fists curled, but somehow he released a long exhale to stop his anger from sparking into a rage.

"You could have just called me back? Even once--" he reluctantly admitted.

"And risk your new life with involving me? Nah," He Tian looked up, and Mo Guan could better see the scar down the side of his face and cheek, through the tendons near his lip and curved towards his clavicle. The old injury wasn't ugly-- if anything it made his chest tighten because the line of red made He Tian's eyes look darker-- more intense.

"I thought you died after they took you," Mo Guan admitted, "my mom was scared for you too, and you couldn't even call her?" Mo Guan shuttered at the memory of He Tian going missing from his side that day near the pier, it had scared him, but in a way, it had also made him realize how he felt about the other. Heartbreak that young left an impression, and he never found anyone quite as exciting as his first love with the other. Back then in school, it had been easier to confuse his feelings, and he regretted not being honest with himself sooner, so he didn't lose him.

It seemed like a lifetime ago but then again Mafia life never left any of them. They would always be involved-- they were born into it, and it wouldn't do any of them any good to run away from it. So why was He Tian doing just that? It had taken a while for Mo Guan to get the game right-- to hone his skills to tackle working with them to make his life manageable but regardless how hard it was, he worked strenuously for it.

"Your mother is fine, I checked up on her," He Tian responded yet still grimaced at thoughts of Mo's mother and settled into the chair. "Little Mo, just eat dinner with me, then you can go if you wish."

The offer was simple, and yet it was creating a pathway right back into his life. Mo Guan had finally managed to get a decent job after stabler alliances secured his mom from having to repay any debts. It had improved with his dad getting out of jail too, and Mo Guan had to admit his life had been good these last few years.

"I heard you went to cooking school," He Tian took a sip of his drink, gaze lingering on the food but not eating it until Mo Guan sat down. "I'd really like to try some better-homecooked food sometime. I do my best, but you always were better in the kitchen."

"The fuck?!" he stomped his foot and marched back into the dining room to pull out the chair and sit into it. "You admit then at dragging me here? For food of all things?"

"I honestly didn't," He Tian said seriously, a whisper of a grin making his lips curve like he was about to expose a secret. "Maybe your dad interfered. He would be the only person close to you that would know where I was hiding since he put me here."

Mo Guan opened his phone and immediately text his father.

He Tian laughed at his antics, and the soft sound unraveled the knot of frustration he had in this situation. Mo Guan peeked through his lashes at the other. The fingers cradling the drink exposed the white scars that crisscrossed over his knuckles, and across places the skin was thin. He Tian knew he was looking at him and kept his eyes forward, carting over Mo in a more affectionate way than Mo Guan was doing.

Mo Guan has changed himself, though the same in appearance because he liked how his style was and fuck anyone who wanted to replace it, but he worked out more, trained with his father to fight professionally if he ever needed to defend himself. He was lean, muscles tight and firm, but even with He Tian appearing run down he still seemed incredibly powerful against Mo Guan. How he managed, that would always be the very reason Mo Guan couldn't find himself able to stay away from him. Now that he was within arms reach and adulthood left room for forgiveness without childish revenge-- he felt compelled to reach out, to touch the skin on his cheek.

"He put you here? I didn't know-- when was this? Are you alone in this big house?" Mo Guan's stomached growled at the food smell, and before he could stop his impulse to eat, he was taking a bite of the food. He Tian nodded and took a bite as well.

"He put me here for good reason; I am on the run,"

"From the law? Are you serious?"

"Little Mo," He Tian chuckled richly again, and Mo Guan felt his cheeks heat up a little at that. "No, not from the law idiot. From you."

His chest tightened from immediate embarrassment. "Fuck you,"

"Gladly," He Tian's smile was dangerous again like it used to be and it made Mo Guan's lips twitch into a smile of his own.

"Immature... you suck. I don't even know you anymore," Mo Guan settled into the chair and started adequately eating proving he wasn't leaving even with his threats.

"I'll suck y--"

"Shut up!" Mo Guan flipped the food from his fork at He Tian who rose his forearm to block the food instinctively. He waited for an aggressive fallout, and the glare was there-- the spark in his iris' that could make an enemy falter in their step. But Mo Guan held his gaze in a provocation. They fell into a triggered silence as the sun set and the room remained in orange hues.

He Tian reached out in a fast grab, hooking his hand around Mo's wrist and pulled him forward. The grip alone made the joint bones grind together, but Mo Guan already had his knee on the table, going with the movement until he used the momentum to push the chair back. They both crashed onto the floor with a surprised oof as the air forced quickly form their lungs. He Tian was laughing richly now, and the vibrating sound moved up through his t-shirt and settled warmly in his chest.

"That was a fast reaction; if I were in a better state I'd have seen that coming, but what now Little Mo? You got me pinned--" He lifted his brows suggestively.

"Ugh--" he pushed his hand hard on He Tian's face and situated himself in a standing position. His phone chimed, glancing down he saw a line of emoji's that contained a lot of 'crying while laughing' and 'people high-fiving each other' that made him wonder if his mother also knew about this situation. He felt fingers tickling the inside of his leg, forcing him to take a wide step to the side and reach down to pull the other up from the floor.

"You know what?" Mo Guan said as He Tian got to his feet, standing close enough that Mo could feel his breath.

"Hmm?"

"My parents are schemers and yet--" he sighed. Putting his phone in his pocket before clutching He Tian's arm to wipe the food off it. "I'm glad you are alive-- and that they knew you were safe."

He Tian is quiet but while Mo Guan cleans up his forearm and the front of his shirt he can feel him looking at his profile. Age provided wisdom; it offered a chance to see things different enough to tackle it with better knowledge on your side. It wasn't that this was right or even a good idea to happen, but he could see it as an opportunity to fix something that he lost.

"You missed me?" He Tian barely spoke it, and it drew his eyes up.

"Why wouldn't I?"

He Tian scuffed. "I messed up then," he reached up and removed the napkin and moved away from him. Mo Guan felt sadness in that simple statement, and yet it seemed truthful.

"Whatever, people fuck up all the time. I'm here now yeah? I-- wish I was mad at you more, I had it all in my head you know?"

"What us meeting again? You thought about it?" He Tian was drinking again leaning against the table.

"I thought I'd have to say something to your grave. All that blood from that knife... hearing you scream while those thugs pulled you away-- I never saw you fight so hard to keep them away from me. I was so certain they killed you for it. I told the police that, and then they never found you."

Mo Guan sighed feeling a little relieved now that it was all settling better on him.

"I'm glad I never said goodbye to you." He Tian said quickly. "I helped get your father out of prison, and your parents situated me here after I aided them with a few things. You were in school and doing well, and training-- which I got a few updates on and you seemed so impressive from afar that I didn't want to ruin it."

"You were always bad at this stuff even though people thought otherwise," Mo Guan chuckled but found the bravery to step closer to settled in front of He Tian, he removed the drink from his hand and rested a grip on his hips.

"You have matured," He Tian said. "Your parents warned me you would steal my heart again if I saw you in person."

"Maybe that is why this bus ticket showed up at my house. I didn't understand who it was from; it just said it was urgent. I brought a gun with me." He laughed a little, and He Tian's smile was wide in amusement. "I thought for sure it was a setup or some shit, but it's just you."

"Just me?" He Tian leaned forward and brushed his lips against his cheek. It made the world disappear for a fleeting second at the contact. This was who was missing from his life that wasn't perfect but close to it. There wasn't any reason for He Tian to lock himself away like he's always done, not when Mo Guan had a life he can share. Damn. His heart swelled, and a delirious laugh came out when he turned to capture his lips in a long-awaited kiss which made his entire body shiver. Reaching upward to thread his fingers up the line of his jaw and hooked just behind his ears to keep him there a little longer.

They both panted slightly but everything suddenly made sense. Mo's eyes carted over the scar on He Tian's face, knowing that he was still involved with the Mafia in a way that put him so much danger only furthered his point to be sure he didn't fuck this up. He wasn't going to say goodbye ever. He never wanted to hear it either.

Mo Guan reached back and pulled out his phone, holding it out to capture their faces in a selfie. Seeing them through the lens and on the screen made this situation all too real, noticing the subtly of age in their faces, the scars, and that small broken piece in each of them that always surfaced in their eyes without meaning too. They weren't two teenagers here anymore, and war and sacrifice laced through their whole selves making Mo Guan believe that fate needed time to get them just right for each other.

Somehow they both grinned and as if on impulse, his finger pushed the button to capture the picture.

He promptly text his parents the picture with a string of his own emoji's (fourteen middle fingers and one single ty).

**Author's Note:**

> I have been reading 19 days for so long and these last updates have given me so much muse for the boys. Hope you liked it. : ) Cas


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